Protect yourself from scams

There has been a significant increase in telephone scams, phone porting, branded SMS and email phishing attacks targeting banking customers in Australia.

Here is some information on common scams you might encounter.

Tax refund scams

Scammers have long used the promise of a tax refund to trick people into sharing their personal information or to download malware.

One common scam again doing the rounds is an email that looks like it comes from myGov. It has the subject line ‘Important information regarding your account’, includes the myGov logo and claims to be from the myGov team. Instead, the email is a phishing scam designed to steal your personal and financial information.

To ensure you stay safe you should know the status of your tax affairs. If you are aware of the details of any debts owed, refunds due and lodgments outstanding, you are less likely to fall victim to a scam. Find out more at the Stay Smart Online website.

What is email phishing?

Email phishing is when you receive an unsolicited email that appears to come from a well-known company, this could include P&N Bank.

These emails are cleverly designed to trick you into providing personal details so they can steal your money or identity. They usually claim there is a problem with your account and request you verify your details on a fake copy of the bank or company website.

If you receive one of these emails please delete the email immediately. Do not click on the link/download the form, as this may lead to malicious software being installed on your device which could compromise your security.

P&N Bank will never ask you to supply your personal information or login details via an unsecure email attachment.

What is SMS phishing?

SMS phishing is similar to email phishing. It uses an SMS message to deliver an attachment or link to your device.

The SMS contains a link to a fake URL containing the company's name

Clicking on the link takes tyou to a website which looks like the company's mobile banking app

You are required to enter an online banking username/ID and password

You are then directed to a further 'verification' site which asks you to input all card details, including CVV verification information

These fake web sites and apps often look like genuine sites. P&N Bank will never send an SMS link directing you to login to online banking.

Telephone banking scams

Telephone scams are also on the rise. A common telephone scam is where a scammer calls and claims to be from your bank. They may ask for personal banking details or ask you to make a wire transfer to send incorrect funds back.

Please be aware that P&N will never ask for you to transfer money to correct an error.

If you receive a call from someone claiming to be a P&N employee and it sounds unusual, please don't provide any banking or personal information. Ask for their name, hang up and call back via our contact centre on 13 25 77.

Fraudulent phone porting

A phone porting scam involves identity fraud where a fraudster illegally ports a person's mobile phone number to another telco from their own.

A fraudster has stolen your identity and convinces your telco to port your mobile number to another telco The fraudster then takes over your mobile phone number and, potentially has access to your personal details, such as bank accounts. All the while, you can be unaware that your mobile number has been moved.

While there a complex series of steps required for the fraudster to complete the scam, fraudulent phone porting activities are on the increase.

What to do if you have been scammed

If you think you have been scammed and provided the scammer with your banking details, please contact us immediately.

Depending on the type of scam, we recommend you change your login password via Internet Banking and also run an anti-virus/malware check on your devices.

If the scammers are successful in stealing your money or identity you should report the matter to the Australian Cybercrime Online Reporting Network (ACORN) and your local police.

Would you like more information?

Please read the security information on our website and the Government's Stay Smart Online website for more tips to stay safe online.

You can also visit a branch and pick up a copy of the “Little Black Book of Scams”, produced by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission, to help you avoid becoming a scam victim.